Tarantulas inspire fear enough to create whole movie enterprises on their creepiness, but in reality they're the gentle giant of arachnid-kind. Published today in the online journal "ZooKeys," Dr. Rogério Bertani has discovered nine new species of the tarantula in the states of Central and Eastern Brazil. The new species are arboreal tarantula, which means they mostly live in the trees, and though they are commonly found in the Amazon rainforest this is not the case with these spiders. Some even live in the houses of people in the region. Of the nine, "four are the smallest arboreal species ever recorded," read the journal's press release. "Instead of the seven species formerly known in the region, we now have sixteen", said Dr Bertani in the same release. Aside from the nine new species, he rediscovered a thought-to-be-extinct species as well. The discovery of these new species outside of the rainforests indicates the shortcomings of some of the scientific exploration of human populated regions. Even with humanity bearing down on their habitat, new populations could be living right under their feet. Take a gander at all the eight-legged, hairy beauty of these new species of arboreal tarantula.
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Typhochlaena paschoali preserved female, Camacam, state of Bahia . 40–43 immatures in progression 44 female 45 male, all from E.E. Murici, Murici, state of Alagoas. Photos: R. Bertani.
Typhochlaena amma: female, found in city of Santa Teresa, state of Espirito Santo.
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Typhochlaena costae: female, found in city of Palmas, state of Tocantins.
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Typhochlena curumim: female, found in city of Areia, state of Paraiba.
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Pachistopelma bromelicola: male, from city of Jeremoabo, state of Bahia.
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Iridopelma vanini: holotype female, from Parnamirim, state of Piaui.
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Iridopelma katiae: female, from Chapada Diamantina National Park, Mucuge, state of Bahia.
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Iridopelma oliveirai: immature spider in progression, from Central, state of Bahia.
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Iridopelma marcoi: holotype female, from the city of São Desidério, state of Bahia.
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